A Broken Mask
by Funkysheep
Summary: Elizabeth is a woman forced into a marriage she really didn't want. She runs away from her abusive husband and finds herself living with a man she just met, Aramis. How will their relationship develop as they get thrust into difficult situations and their secrets are revealed? Aramis/OC
1. Chapter 1: A New Life

I ran through the streets with all the strength I had, ignoring the searing pain throughout most of my body. I had to get away, it was just too much for me tonight. I sighed in relief and increased my speed as a familiar house came into view.I knocked on the door of my best friends house, I waited a few minutes and leant against the house to catch my breath. The door suddenly opened with a click and I turned to look at my friend who wore a look of shock and pain.

"Elizabeth...What happened?" She asked quietly.

"I...H-He...He b-beat me again..." I could feel my eyes starting to well up at the memories of the evening. "I... I didn't know w-where else to go... He finds m-me no matter where I run to... I'm sorry to burden you like this."

"Come inside. You can stay here tonight." I felt a pair of arms wrap round me and the tears started to fall as I returned her gesture.

"T-thank you, Constance." She let go of me and led me inside the house, there I spotted four men stood in the dining room. "Are you sure it's okay for me to stay? You have other guests I wouldn't want to intrude"

"Yes." She spoke firmly, then followed my line of vision to the four men. "Oh. Don't worry about them, they'll be going soon anyway. Come and sit down now." She gently guided me to the dining room and introduced me to the men. "This is my friend Elizabeth, she... Er... Um... She had a bit of a rough night. Could you look after her while I fetch some supplies?" and with that she exited the room.

I curtseyed and gave a polite 'Its nice to meet you', which probably came out barely audible, before taking a seat. The first to speak was the youngest of the group, "What happened?" I looked up to meet his gaze and immediately recognised him, how could I not have noticed before? It was D'Artagnan, he'd been living with Constance for a while now.

The next to speak was a dark-skinned man. "You shouldn't start asking her questions, I don't think she'd want to repeat what happened if it ended with her looking like that." He then turned to look at me. Do I really look that terrible?

The thought was interrupted by another voice, I turned to face the owner and by far the most handsome man in the room. "Sorry about them, they come out a bit rude but they mean well." He smiled and I looked up to meet his gaze. "My name's Aramis, a pleasure to meet you." Then he bent down, keeping our eyes locked, before taking my hand and gently kissing it. His hand was warm and comforting, I hoped that I could hold on to his warmth for awhile. Alas, my thoughts were not realised and he dropped my hand and stood up

"Right. Introductions" Aramis said and moved to stand next to the dark-skinned man. "This here is Porthos." He then pointed towards the cold looking man in the corner of the room. "That's Athos. Finally we have D'Artagnan" pointing towards the young man.

Constance came back in to the room holding a bowl of water and a cloth. "Are you boys done with your meeting yet?" She spoke firmly. This was her way of getting them to leave, I giggled slightly at this realisation.

"Yes. I think so. We'll be going now" the man named Athos said, his voice was devoid of all emotion.

"Okay, I'll see you off then." Constance smiled politely, set down the items in her hand and led them towards the front door, after turning to me "Stay there a minute Liz, I'll be back in a bit." I complied and leant back in the chair, however after about a minute I heard shouting and got up to see what was going on. When I got to the door I saw Mr. Bonacieux screaming about criminals or something. I thought about hiding, he's never liked me you see, but decided against it as the scene unfolding was quite humorous. He looked completely mad and it was fun to see him looking so undignified. It was then that Mr. Bonacieux noticed me stood by the doorway

"Not only did you let a criminal into the house, you let HER in as well." He screamed and pointed at me, everyone went silent and stopped what they were doing to look at me. Well, now I feel uncomfortable.

Constance was quick to stand up for me "She needs help, look at her." She spoke sternly and stared at her husband fiercely.

"She's married! Her husband can help her." He responded with the same fierce gaze as her.

"It's her husband that did this to her!"

"I don't care, there are other people out there who she can get help from!"

"Like who?!"

"Stop arguing with me and get that whore out of my house!"

"No! She's sta-"

I quickly cut Constance off "No, it's fine, I'll find somewhere else to stay." I had no other place to stay but I didn't want her to ruin their relationship over me. I gave her a small hug before walking out on to the street, where all four men were stood staring at me. I walked quickly past them to avoid further embarrassment, but then I heard someone calling after me. Damn it, leave me alone.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth wait." I stopped and turned around ready to tell them to piss off, but when I saw who it was the words wouldn't come out. It was Aramis, he had chased after me. "Elizabeth... I have a house. You could stay there if you need a place. I could also fix up your wounds, I'm pretty good at that; Porthos is always getting in to fights."

I barely know this man, yet he's offering me somewhere to stay. I do need a place to go tonight and he's said he'll sort out my wounds. But how do I know he doesn't have other 'reasons' for doing this, most men would. I'm being stupid he looks genuinely worried for me, plus Constance seemed to trust him, even if only a little. Anyway if he did try something I could easily hit him. Decision made.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay with you?"

"Of course. If it wasn't I wouldn't offer, and I can't really allow a lady to stay out here on her own now."

"Well then, I'll gladly accept your kind offer." I smiled at him and he returned it.

"Okay, it's not too far from here. Stay close." And with that he began walking. The first few minutes were filled with silence, before Aramis broke it. "So, How did you meet Constance? You two seem very close."

I was surprised at first by the question, most people would have asked about how I got the bruises or why Mr. Bonacieux dislikes me so much, but I eventually answered. "We met when we were little girls, she was the only real friend I had at the time and we stayed friends to this day." I smiled to myself, remembering the past. "She was one of the few people who wasn't afraid to speak her mind to me. I come from a family of nobles, my parents owned the village so everyone there was extremely nice to me. They thought that by becoming my friend they would get benefits, like money or land, but to be honest I didn't really like any of them and it was tiring having people fawn over me." Aramis stayed silent as I was telling my story, occasionally looking over or nodding telling me that he was still listening. "Constance didn't really do all the niceties though which was why I liked her, although I don't think she really liked me. But eventually we became good friends, and we helped each other out a lot over the years."

"Sounds like you had an interesting childhood." he chuckled lightly "So, What were you like as a child?" He gave me a side glance before looking ahead and turning a corner.

"Hmm... I'm not sure really, people used to say I was over-confident and quite strong-willed. Although I'm not so sure, I'm definitely not like that anymore. But you'd have to ask Constance if you want an accurate answer." I laughed and we shortly came to stop in front of a house.

It looked to be a decent size from the outside, nothing too grand but bigger than the average building. Aramis unlocked the door and we stepped inside, I stood in the entryway which had doors to the left and right and a staircase in front of me. I didn't have time to see what was behind the doors as Aramis escorted me upstairs. There was a long hallway with three doors, I was led to the door at the end of the hallway. As he opened the door a cloud of dust flew up and I started coughing.

I managed to get a few words out between coughs "I think you need to clean a bit more often."

He chuckled lightly "Sorry for the dust, I'm not often here. Anyway this will be your room for as long as you need."

"Thank you."

"Anyway, make you self at home. I'm just going to fetch my medical supplies, I'll be back in a little while." He turned and left leaving me alone in the room.

I looked around taking in all of the features. It was quite a big room especially for a house near these parts of the city. There was a large oak wardrobe and screen in the far left of the room with a small desk opposite. A large four poster bed was positioned in the middle of the room, I moved to sit on it and as I did more dust rose in to the air making me have another coughing fit. tomorrow I am definitely cleaning this place, all this dirt and dust will make me ill.

I lay back on the bed many thoughts running through my head. How long could I stay here before they found me? Could I truly trust Aramis and who exactly was he? What was the meeting at the Bonacieux's house about? Where is the food in this place, is there even any food in this place? My thoughts eventually stopped as I felt my eyelids growing heavy, I tried to keep myself awake but despite my best efforts I eventually drifted to sleep in the unfamiliar bed.


	2. Chapter 2: Doctors Orders

My eyes slowly fluttered open to sunlight pouring in through a large window. Once my eyes had adjusted I looked around taking in my surroundings, I sat up quickly in the bed at the unfamiliar room. It was then that I heard a knock at the door and a voice call out. "Elizabeth are you awake yet?" I recognised the voice, it was Aramis, and I realised where I was and how I had gotten here.

"Yes, I'm awake" I called back to him.

The door opened and Aramis entered "Good morning" he said and sat down on the bed. "Is it alright if I take a look at your wounds now? When I came back last night you were already asleep."

"Oh. Um, yes of course." I smiled at him.

He returned my smile "Where are the worst of your injuries?"

"Probably on my back."

"Okay. I hope you don't mind, but I'll need to unlace your dress."

"Oh. It's fine if it means you can help the pain."

As he reached out and began undoing the laces on my dress my body automatically tensed up. He must have sensed this because he asked "If you don't feel comfortable with me doing it I could go and get Constance."

"No, it's fine. I was just surprised at the sudden touch." Aramis accepted my reason and carried on with his work. Eventually my dress was undone and Aramis was now inspecting my back.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you get all these cuts?" He began caressing all the cuts on my back, his hand was so warm and gentle, my heart rate quickened with every touch.

I looked down slightly, not only to hide my reddening cheeks but also to think of how to answer his question. _Should I tell him? Well he can probably guess anyway from what was said yesterday. _After a minute or so I managed to speak up. "My husband." I said in a quiet voice. "He has a terrible anger and he usually uses me as his release. However, yesterday he had a bit too much to drink and... he..." I trailed off not wanting to recite anymore of my story.

Aramis gently took my hand and gave it a squeeze. He then began working on treating my wounds; disinfecting cuts, sewing them up if necessary, and giving me small relief from the pain. The silence didn't last long though, as curiosity got the better of him. "Why don't you just leave your husband?"

I sighed at hearing his question. So many people have asked me this over the years and they make it sound like such a simple thing, which is far from the truth. "It's not that easy." I breathed.

"What do you mean? You ran away last night, all you have to do is stay away."

"I could but..." I felt my eyes begin to fill with tears, but I blinked them away and carried on speaking. "My parents made a deal with him so that when I turned eighteen years of age I would marry into his family. Although the original agreement was for me to marry his son, but his son loved someone else, the deal still stood and I owe it to my parents to honour it."

"I see. Have you spoken to your parents about it? If they really cared for you they wouldn't allow this to happen." he said whilst disinfecting a cut. I winced slightly and tried to think of an answer to his question.

After a few moments of silence I eventually spoke. "I have told my parents about what's going on, but..." It had been just over five years since it happened, but it hadn't gotten any easier to talk about. "They can't give me any advice or answers. You see... My parents... they died. It was around five years ago, which was long before I was married."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Aramis said apologetically, giving my shoulder a reassuring yet gentle squeeze. "Well, I'm done with all the wounds on your back, they should be fully healed in a few days. Is there anything else you want me to look at?"

"No, thank you. You've been very helpful." I said with a smile.

"No. Thank _you _for being such a good patient. Usually Porthos makes such a fuss we have to knock him out." He laughed and I found myself laughing with him. At that moment my stomach let out a loud growl. I had hoped that he didn't notice, but his laughter had died down and he looked at me for a few seconds before letting a small chuckle escape his lips. "Shall we get some breakfast?"

I felt my face heat up slightly. _So he did hear, this is so embarrassing. Maybe if I leave now, I won't embarrass myself further. "_Oh that's very kind but I should probably get back home now."

"I'm not going to let you go back. You're staying here, just so I can make sure your cuts heal properly. Doctors orders." He spoke sternly, not like his carefree demeanour he had only moments ago. His tone made me unable to go against him, so I obliged his request.

Aramis and I were currently sat at a small table in the kitchen. In front of us was a small selection of breads and fruits, it all looked delicious. I quickly dug in, tearing off a piece of bread which seemed to be eaten in an instant. The rest of the food also disappeared quite fast and soon the table had been cleared.

"Thank you for the food. It was delicious."

"Not at all. Anyway, I must be off soon, work to attend to. You're welcome to do whatever you wish for the rest of the day, just don't get yourself into too much trouble." Aramis smirked.

"Oh, of course not." I smirked back at him. "Have a good day."

"You too." He smiled at me briefly before exiting the house.

It was eerily quiet now that I was alone, and I found myself at a loss for what to do. I scanned the kitchen looking for something to entertain myself with; to my disappointment all that I saw was mess. _This place really does need cleaning up a bit, even more so if I'm going to be staying for a while. Well, I suppose I could do that today, and who knows I might even find something interesting in this mess_.

I began cleaning straight away, and soon the kitchen was almost spotless. All the mouldy food, dust and rodents had been removed; it was a dirty job but there wasn't anyone else around to do it. I then moved on to the sitting room, which had a few chairs and tables covered in cloths and a fairly large fireplace. It didn't take me too long to finish the room, and before I knew it most of the house was clean; well, _cleaner_.

It was just past noon when I had completely finished, and I was now up in my room looking for some parchment and charcoal. I usually draw whenever I have nothing better to do, it's one of the few things I'm allowed to do. However after searching the entirety of the house, and finding none of the things I needed, I decided to go out to the shops and buy some. This was a lot more difficult than I originally thought though, considering I had no money with me. My ideas to defeat this dilemma now were: Sneak into my husbands mansion and grab my art supplies and gold; give up and have nothing to do for the rest of the day; or steal the art supplies from the market.

Clearly there is only one sensible idea there, to sneak into my husband's home: Chateau Renoir.


	3. Chapter 3: Reunions

After a few hours of planning I was finally ready to sneak into my husband's house. I waited outside the back of Chateau Renoir for my husband to leave, eventually I saw him leave and entered through the servants quarters. Luckily my most trusted maid, Madeline, was near the entrance. She had been in the service of the Renoir household for quite a few years and had also gained their trust, which is why she is allowed to tend to me. Madeline is only a few years older than I am, although you probably couldn't tell, we got on very well since the first day I arrived. Her kind and caring demeanor and daily conversation has kept me sane these past few years.

I beckoned her over and she finally noticed me after a few minutes of flailing. "Elizabeth! What are you doing here? I thought you had escaped, you shouldn't have come back, he might catch you." Madeleine exclaimed, clearly terrified for my well-being.

"Madeline. Calm down, I made sure he had left before I came in." I laughed quietly and squeezed her hands in mine. Her expression softened and she seemed to relax a little.

She sighed in defeat "Okay, but you'd better be quick in whatever you're here to do. We don't know when he might come back."

"Oh you worry too much. But I promise I'll be quick, I just need to grab my art and some gold." I smiled at her.

"Have you found somewhere nice to stay then?" She asked me as I turned to leave. "Usually you'd have come back, or been dragged back by now."

"Yes, I've found somewhere comfortable for now. But there's still a chance I'll be dragged back here, so I'm going to enjoy myself while I can." We both shared a smile before I turned around and hurried up to my bedroom.

I had run up a few flights of stairs and down many corridors before I stopped in front of my room, I was out of breath and panting. I quietly creaked open the large door and stepped through into the room. It was just how I had left it, a complete mess. Papers were strewn across the floor, a few chairs had been knocked over and a couple of broken wine bottles had been left in the room. I moved to collect up the many papers, they were mostly small drawings or letters from my friends and family, but they were all very important to me and I picked them up with much delicacy. Once I had all of the papers I put them in a small bag I had with me, and then followed to place my charcoal pencils and coin purse into the bag. I breathed a sigh of relief at completing my task; getting in had been easy enough, however sneaking out would prove to be slightly more difficult.

Madeline burst into the room, breathing heavily "He's come back! You need to leave now, before he sees you."

"What? He's back already?" I suddenly felt panic rise up inside me, if he catches me now who knows what he'll do to me. Usually I'm back here by morning when I run away and I still get a terrible beating, coming back after noon well it's too horrible to imagine. I looked towards Madeline "Where is he at the minute?"

"I believe he is in the dining room, so you should be able to get out without him noticing you. But I will go and make sure there is a safe path for you anyway." She smiled to me and I felt myself relax a little.

"Thank you Madeline."

And with that she left the room, only to return a few minutes later and signal for me to follow her. I walked quietly behind her through the many corridors, occasionally stopping if we heard someone nearby, eventually we reached the servants quarters. We both leant against the nearest wall and let out shaky breaths of relief, we stayed like that for a few moments just to catch our breath again. However that didn't last for long as a voice startled us from behind.

"Madeline!" Another maid shouted from down the hallway. "Madeline, Master Renoir wishes to see you" She continued to call as she made her way into the servants quarters.

"Duty calls." Madeline said, giving me an apologetic smile. "Have a good day Elizabeth."

I made my way out of the mansion, which was when I noticed the stables. _My poor Damien is still in there, all alone now that I'm gone. I want to take him with me, but I would risk being seen. _Damien has been my friend for many years and one of the few I kept with me after my parents died. He's a beautiful black stallion that I got for my 10th birthday, and a brilliant horse to ride. _Oh, damn it, I'm getting him out of here._

Once I had made my decision I slipped into the stables, making sure no one else was around. I grabbed a saddle, reins and a bit of food before going to Damien's pen. When I reached him he let out an excited 'neigh' and started rubbing up against me, practically pushing me over. I smiled at his enthusiasm and quickly calmed him, before placing and securing the saddle and reins on him. I stroked his shiny black coat and fed him an apple, one of his favourite foods. I jumped up onto Damien's back and we gently trotted out of grounds, we were almost free when I heard one of the mansions guards shout out from behind us.

"You there! Stop!" More guards gathered at his loud voice, so Damien and I sped off at a gallop.

We were speeding through the small streets of Paris, every now and then knocking something over. The guards were still hot on our trail and I could feel that Damien was getting tired. I needed to find somewhere to hide, however finding a place to hide a large stallion was proving to be quite difficult. It was then that I saw the Musketeers garrison coming into view. T_he guards don't have the right to search there, but will I be allowed to hide there? Well, I don't really have another choice, Damien can't keep this up for much longer.  
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I entered the headquarters, accidentally knocking over a musketeer standing by the gate, I shouted a quick 'Sorry' before returning to my task. I galloped into a large courtyard full of musketeers sat around tables. _Great, they had to put an obstacle course here. _By now everyone present in the courtyard was staring at me in curiosity as I gently steered Damien around the many tables. Had they never seen a horse before? Finally I made it through the courtyard and called Damien to a stop behind a staircase and dismounted, hopefully the guards wouldn't be able to see us from this angle. A few monuments later I heard a roar of footsteps and saw a few of the guards enter the garrison, as I peaked underneath a stair.

"We're looking for a young woman. Is she here?" A guard asked with his nose stuck up, looking down on the musketeers. I clicked my tongue in annoyance at how arrogant some guards could be.

I then realised that there was a chance the musketeers would sell me out. I went to turn around and sneak away, I could easily come back later for Damien. However my path was blocked by a large chest, I looked up to be met by Aramis' face which was plastered with a smirk.

"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble." He tried to say sternly, however the smile on his face didn't give the same impression. I gave him my best smile and he let out a small chuckle. "Come with me, half the people here saw you and one of them is bound to talk eventually." He said and grabbed my hand, pulling me off to who knows where. As we were walking a loud voice rung out over the courtyard, It sounded surprisingly familiar.

"Everyone stop! And someone tell me what all the noise is about!" The voice demanded. I couldn't quite see his face from here so I tried to get closer, but Aramis quickly pulled me back.

"Follow my lead." He whispered into my ear, and I gave a small nod. We walked out in front of everyone, and I turned my gaze to the floor in order to avoid everyone's curios stares. "Captain. Some of the guards were harassing this young woman." Aramis spoke clearly and sent a challenging look towards the guards.

"No not at all, we simply wish to bring her back home." A guard spoke up.

"Surely if she wanted to go home she would."

"Enough. Has this woman committed any crime?" The captain asked the guards.

They all looked towards each other for an answer "No Captain, but-"

The captain interjected "Then you have no right to force her to come with you, and you also have no right to be causing a scene in the garrison." The guards slowly left the musketeers garrison, looking slightly dejected.

I looked towards Aramis and smiled "Thank you."

"It's not me you should be thanking, it's the Captain." He smiled back at me, and guided me over to where the man he called 'the Captain'.

Once I saw the Captain's face I stopped and stared at him, my mouth agape. He noticed my presence and turned to face me, his expression like a mirror to my own. When I had finally returned to my senses I immediately ran to Captain, throwing my arms around him. He returned the gesture and the whole garrison fell silent, I could feel their stares burning into my back.

After we stood like that for a few moments we eventually released each other, and the Captain spoke up "Elizabeth. Is it really you?" He asked quietly.

I gave a small nod as I smiled up at him "It's really me Uncle." And I was soon pulled back into a tight hug.

"Anyway, I believe we have some catching up to do. It's been, what? Five years? I think the last time I saw you was at the funeral. Anyway, we can speak more in my office." He said, sending a glare to the musketeers still staring and guided me to his office. I turned back to give Aramis a quick smile, he in turn tipped his hat to me and walked away.

I sat down in Captain Treville's office, and he began asking many questions; Where have you been? Why didn't you contact me? What have you been doing? How are you doing? I began laughing at his over enthusiasm and worry, but answered his questions anyway. I told him almost everything about my current life, about the situation with my husband, and the adventures I had been on since I saw him last. After a few hours of talking, we realised just how late it had gotten.

"Do you have somewhere to stay? I'm guessing you won't be going back to your husband's house." He asked.

"Yes. I'm staying with a friend for a while." I reassured him.

"Okay then, but are you okay getting home? Those guards could still be looking for you."

I smiled at him "I'll be fine."

"Okay." He smiled sheepishly "Can I at least have one of my men walk you back?"

I let a quiet giggle escape my lips "Okay then."

He called for someone from the doorway and in stepped Aramis a few seconds later. I gave my Uncle a hug and promised to visit him, before I left the musketeers garrison. Aramis held out his arm for me as we walked back home, and I happily took it.


	4. Chapter 4: Bonaire

It had been several days since I had started living with Aramis. The wounds that originally bought me here had all healed, but I didn't want to leave. I was enjoying my new free life; I could go out when I wanted, do whatever I wanted. I had put Damien into a nearby stable where he was being very well looked after. So, many of my days had been spent riding, socialising, or drawing. My most recent art pieces mainly consisted of drawings of flowers from a meadow just outside the city, and sketches of Damien.

I was now sat in my room reading through a letter I received yesterday, after finishing off a small painting of some daffodils.

_To my dearest Elizabeth,_

_I will be returning from my most recent voyage in the next few days, watch out for my ship in the port. These last few voyages weren't the same without you, so it would make me extremely happy to see you again. I will be staying in the rising sun inn by the port if you wish to see me. I have also sent a letter to Maria, however she can be quite stubborn so I ask for your assistance in helping her to find me. Thank you my dear._

_Emile_

I smiled to myself when I saw who the sender was, Emile Bonaire. When the Renoir family first tried to force me to marry my current husband, I ran off and stowed away on a ship, that ship belonged to Emile. We were at sea for almost two years, sailing around the Caribbean, it was beautiful. However, I knew I had to return to Paris at some point, and I didn't exactly want to be involved in the business Emile was in. But he was still a good friend to me, no matter what he did to earn a living. So I decided I would visit the Rising sun inn with Marie in a few days time.

**Aramis P.O.V**

D'Artagnan and I were sat in the rising sun inn waiting for our target, Emile Bonaire, to arrive. Athos and Porthos were sat on the other side of the room, registering everyone present. Bonaire walked in, shouting about getting drinks for everyone, and set his things down on a table in the middle of the inn. He knew he was being watched.

He began flirting with the waitress serving him, telling her something about a feather, but she was falling for it anyway. "The tail feather of an Amazonian macaw. Quite the loveliest bird in the jungle, but not half as lovely as you."

"Seduced by a feather, really?" D'Artagnan scoffed from beside me.

"Anyone can tell a woman they're beautiful, making her believe it is where the genius lies." I turned to him and let out a small chuckle.

At that moment a woman burst in and started attacking the waitress with Bonaire. D'Artagnan moved to intervene, but I stopped him, I wanted to see how this would play out. Then someone caught my attention.

"Maria! Stop, that girl hasn't done anything to you, has she?" It was Elizabeth, what was she doing here? Her hand then moved to her side to rest on what looked like a sword, _well I didn't know she could fight._

"I'll kill you." The woman named Maria whispered to Bonaire. Well, that's not good, we need Bonaire alive. Apparently the other men after Bonaire didn't like that either, as almost everyone in the inn stood up, and unsheathed their weapons. One man moved to in for an attack, but got shot in the leg before he was even close. "Touch him and you'll die!" Maria shouted. More men started to attack, and it was then that D'Artagnan and I decided to stand up to protect Bonaire. Although Maria didn't seem to like that as she pointed a dagger towards me. _Who's side it's this woman on? First she's threatening to kill him now he's protecting him?_

I heard a voice from behind me and turned to meet Elizabeth's gaze, but she immediately looked away and towards Maria. "For goodness sake Maria, put the dagger away."

However she didn't listen and lunged at me, I easily blocked the attack, grabbed her dagger and pushed her backwards. D'Artagnan quickly grabbed her to prevent anymore unnecessary fighting, but she started shouting and struggling in his grasp, and finally she just bit him to make him release his grip. It seemed to work, and both Porthos and I were laughing at D'Artagnan's misfortune. I also heard a quiet giggle escape from Elizabeth's lips as she made her way over to try to calm Maria down.

"Gentlemen, thank you." Bonaire said with a smug smile as he stepped towards us. That smile didn't last long and his face immediately dropped when he heard Athos' next words.

"Emile Bonaire, you are under arrest. We are taking you to Paris to appear before the king."

Bonaire then tried to make up excuses of why he couldn't go, something about important business, as Porthos started confiscating his weapons. Honestly, I wasn't really listening my mind was more focused on what Elizabeth was doing here, I was surprised by how much I had grown to care for her well-being, but I forced my focus back to my task at hand.

"Your business will have to wait" Athos said sternly, not allowing for any response.

D'Artagnan then turned his head to the woman who'd just bit him "What about her?"

"I have a name. Maria Bonaire." She sounded rather angry.

"Gentlemen. My wife."

"That explains a lot." I chuckled, receiving glares from both Bonaire's.

Two men dressed in black the approached Bonaire and gave him a small case. "You wouldn't want this to fall into the wrong hands." The man spoke with a slightly Spanish accent. Porthos quickly took the case from the two men, and Bonaire then agreed to come to Paris.

As everyone turned to leave I returned Maria's dagger and grabbed Elizabeth's arm as she walked past. I gave her a questioning look as she looked up at me in surprise, before speaking to me in a whispered voice. "I'll explain everything later, I believe you have a job to do right now." She was right, so we both rejoined the rest of the group.

"Would you grant me one last favour?" Bonaire asked "Just a few moments alone with my wife."

"You must think we're stupid." D'Artagnan quickly replied.

I didn't see anything wrong with the request, there isn't a man alive who wouldn't want to be with his wife for what may be the last time. Athos then spoke up "I need your word that you won't try to escape."

"Terribly sorry, apparently we are." D'Artagnan said sarcastically.

"Of course. You have my word." His word didn't mean much, but we allowed him his request anyway. Athos and Porthos walked the Bonaires up to their room and stood guard outside, so I ceased this opportunity to talk to Elizabeth. I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards an empty table.

**Elizabeth P.O.V**

Aramis dragged me to a nearby table, "Explain." He demanded. I sighed, of course he'd want to know why I was with an infamous merchant and his wife. Also, the way I was dressed wasn't exactly normal for a woman; leather chaps, poet shirt and under bust, boots and a sword belt. He's never seen me in anything but expensive dresses.

"I told you about my parents death and my marriage contract, right?" He gave a silent nod at my question, keeping his eyes locked on me. "Well, after my parents died, when I was first forced to marry; I ran away. I boarded the nearest ship I could and stowed away on there. The ship I got on happened to be one helping Emile with his business. I sailed with Emile for two years around the Caribbean, until I decided to return to France. I haven't had much contact with him since then, but Emile sent me a letter a few days ago saying to meet him here." I explained and held out the letter to him.

He glanced at the letter before speaking "Okay, but you'll travel back to Paris with us. I don't want you getting caught up in too much trouble."

"How do you know I'll get into any trouble on my own?" I asked with a small pout.

He laughed at my childish behaviour "Well last time, I believe you managed to get chased through the streets by guards and had to hide in the garrison."

"Fine, I admit I do tend to attract trouble." I sighed.

I then heard Maria and Emile in their room, I knew that it was their escape plan, I had helped them with situations similar to this before. "I'm going to get some air, I'm feeling a little dizzy." I said to Aramis, I felt terrible for lying to him, but I owe Emile for the many times he had helped me. He nodded his head and gave a concerned smile, which I returned telling him I'd be okay.

Once I was outside I located the wagon and hopped inside, waiting for Emile. "Good day Thibault." I greeted the man sat in the driver's seat, and he returned my greeting with a small smile. Suddenly there was a loud crash, we both turned to look at what it was. We saw Emile getting up from the pavement, Thibault ran over to help him into the Wagon. It was a tight squeeze with both Emile and I sat in there, but we managed. I whistled for Damien to follow behind us just as we set off.

"It good to see you again Elizabeth." Emile spoke to me. "It seems you've grown even lovelier over the years." I laughed at his flirting, I knew that coming from him it didn't mean anything, I had grown used to it on the ship.

"Oh Mr. Bonaire! You're making me blush!" I teased. He had wooed many woman over the years, but I knew that his heart always belonged to Maria.

We were both laughing and chatting happily when we heard a voice from the driver's seat. "I think you'll be more comfortable up here Bonaire, I'm sure your friend won't mind" I looked over to see Porthos sat with a gun pointed at Thibault, who quickly jumped of the seat and ran off.

Emile took the seat and turned back to me "You can sit on my lap if you want, it's not very comfortable there." I rolled my eyes and stepped out onto to the seat, Emile smiled at me thinking I was going to sit with him. I signalled for Damien to ride up next to us, stepped over Emile to the edge, and easily jumped onto Damien's back. I flashed a quick smile back to Emile, who now looked rather forlorn.

"Don't look like that. Did you really expect me to sit on your lap?" I heard laughter coming from the musketeers as they watched our exchange.

"Well, I can't say I wasn't hoping you would." He began laughing as well.

I rode up to the front of the group, next to Aramis. "How many times have you done that before?" He asked, I was confused by what he was talking about. "There's not many woman I know, who can mount a horse while it's moving." he said, sensing my confusion.

"Well, I've been in lots of situations that call for it I suppose. I never really thought about it before."

Aramis chuckled softly and whispered "You're a very interesting woman." I was barely able to make out what he was saying and I wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself or to me.

We rode on for a few miles exchanging words now and then, before Aramis went back to see if we were followed. A few minutes later he returned and shouted "We're being followed. The two men in black from the port." The Musketeers made a quick decision to come off of the main road, so we pulled into a clearing.

Once we had stopped, I jumped off Damien's back and fed him an apple. He ate it quickly, which didn't really surprise me considering how far he had already traveled today. I heard everyone draw their weapons and followed by unsheathing my sword. I looked around for any enemies, but couldn't see any, this was all becoming rather strange.

"Come out and state your business!" I heard Aramis shout, then men started running towards us at every angle.

I tightened my grip on my sword as someone came at me with a large axe, I blocked his attack and swiftly kicked him to the ground. I noticed a few stares directed at me but it didn't last long as their focus was now back on the battle. I continued to defeat quite a few men during the fight, until I heard Porthos cry out. My concentration was lost for a moment as I looked back to check on him, however it was a moment too long as I felt a blade slice into my side. I ignored the injury and carried on fighting, until a large greying man walked out and stopped the battle. I took this opportunity to tighten a belt around my waist to stop my wound from bleeding too much, I could fix it up properly later.

Emile introduced the man as Paul Meunier, a business associate of his. They had a small discussion about their business deal, but it was quickly interrupted.

"Tell your men to lay down their weapons!" Aramis demanded and aimed a gun at the man. He complied and all the men put down their weapons. Athos and D'Artagnan went speak with Meunier about something, while Aramis and I tended to Porthos wound. He had a deep cut in his shoulder which needed to be treated quickly.

D'Artagnan and Athos came out from their meeting "Is he fit to ride?" Athos asked. Aramis told him that Porthos wasn't able to ride and needed to be treated soon, however Athos didn't seem to be listening and demanded to ride on for a few miles. After a few minutes of arguing we set off towards a small village, as I sat atop Damien I felt a searing pain in my side, I would need to sort that out when we stopped and I hoped that we didn't have to travel too far.

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for reading my fanfiction. Your reviews really encourage me to continue writing, and I hope you will keep giving me your support.<strong>

**Also, just a quick message, I have exams starting next week so I don't know when I'll next be able to update. Hopefully I won't make you wait too long. Thank you again!**


	5. Chapter 5: Sewing

We arrived at a large house, on the outskirts of a small village. It reminded me of my family home, grand and elegant but welcoming. We walked inside, Aramis and I helping Porthos, it didn't look like anyone had been here for a while as most of the decor was covered by sheets and a thin later of dust graced the house. Athos led us to a large room, probably the parlour judging by the furnishings. We sat Porthos down on a nearby chair, while Aramis went to prepare his medical tools. I began to unwrap the hastily tied bandage and cleaned the wound. I heard Porthos wince slightly as I dabbed a damp cloth onto the cut.

"Is there anything to ease the pain?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Wine." Athos replied bluntly.

Emile quickly interjected "I have something better. The colonists call it Kill Devil, they make it out of sugar molasses."

"We'd best get acquainted then." Porthos laughed and reached for the bottle, I could tell that it caused him a lot of pain for even the smallest of movements as his face contorted.

Once Aramis had finished setting up in the dining room, I bought Porthos there with a little extra help from D'Artagnan. As Porthos leant on me I felt a pain from my own wound and winced slightly. Porthos turned to look at me worriedly "You alright? I'm not too heavy am I?" I waved him off with a laugh, and tried to ignore the pain as much as I could. I decided that I would sort myself out once Porthos was okay. D'Artagnan and I helped him onto the table before moving to stand by the wall.

"I'm feeling quite faint, I'm not very good with blood. So if it's alright I'll just stand outside." Emile moved towards the door but D'Artagnan blocked his path and shook his head.

Aramis then called Emile over to where Porthos lay on the table. He began pointing out all of Porthos' different scars and how he'd got them, probably just to make Emile squirm. As I peered over Porthos' back I saw many different cuts,_ I didn't think that there would be so many. Does Aramis have scars like these aswell?_

I was bought out of my thoughts by Aramis' voice "Could you prepare the patient?" This was followed by a loud thump, making me jump and scream slightly. I looked back over to see Porthos now passed out on the table, and Aramis grinning at me. No doubt laughing at my reaction to the punch. However his face soon turned serious as he began work on Porthos.

After a few minutes I felt a twinge in my side, I looked down to see that my shirt was slightly bloodied. My vision started to blur as I walked over to D'Artagnan who still stood guard at the door "I'm feeling a bit faint, can I go get some air?" I asked shakily, I could feel my consciousness slowly slipping away but held on as best I could.

"No. You tried to help Bonaire back at the inn using that same excuse." He said firmly not moving even an inch. _Damn it, what do I do? I can't even sneak out either. Plus Aramis is nowhere near finished yet. _However before I could decide on a plan my vision blurred completely and I felt myself falling until something or someone broke my fall. I tried to focus, but all I could see were fuzzy silhouettes of people.

"I need some help over here!" I heard someone yell, followed by hurried footsteps.

"It looks like she was injured in the ambush." Another voice said, I assumed it was Athos by the way he stated the fact so bluntly.

I then felt myself being picked up and carried "It's going to be okay Elizabeth. Stay with me." They whispered to me. However, I couldn't grant their request as my consciousness slipped away.

**Aramis P.O.V**

As I was stitching up Porthos I heard a loud crash from the other side of the room. I sighed to myself. _Can't they be quieter? I need good concentration if I'm going to be able to do this properly. _However my mood immediately changed once I had looked up and heard D'Artagnan's yell for help.

D'Artagnan was holding Elizabeth who was now completely limp, if her eyes weren't wandering I would've thought her dead. I felt my hands begin to tremble as I got closer to the group, she was bleeding; a lot. I was feeling both frustrated and worried at the situation. _Why didn't I notice before? Why didn't she tell me she was injured? _Before I had even thought about what I was doing I had picked Elizabeth up in my arms, she looked up at me with unfocused eyes and I quietly whispered to her "It's going to be okay Elizabeth. Stay with me." Not even a second after I had said that her eyes fluttered shut.

I felt a wave of panic wash over me as I hurriedly bought Elizabeth to another table. Once I had placed her down I had no idea of what to do, I needed to stitch up Porthos but Elizabeth also needed medical attention, if I leave either of them too long they'll end up dead. As I was having a mental battle with myself Athos grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me out of the room.

"Go finish up on Porthos. I'll clean Elizabeth's wound so it's ready when you come back." I hesitated for a second, but I knew that Athos was right and returned to Porthos.

I managed to finish stitching up Porthos quite quickly, even with my hands still trembling. I wondered how she could have such a huge impact on me, I had known her for just over a week now. But it seemed as if I'd known her for years, I cared for her more than I should. Maybe it was because we lived together, but every time she was hurt or in trouble it felt like my heart would stop. I sighed to myself as I made my way to the room Elizabeth was in.

When I entered the room I saw Elizabeth lying still on the table, as I got closer I saw that her chest was moving up and down in gentle breaths. Athos was stood next to her cleaning the wound, he had lifted her shirt up by the smallest amount so the she could retain her dignity. I walked over to Athos "How bad is the wound?" I asked.

"It's a few inches deep so it'll need stitching, but she's not bleeding as much as she was before." He replied, my face relaxed slightly knowing that most of the bleeding had stopped and I hurried off to get my medical tools.

I began work on Elizabeth as soon as I could. After a few stitches I began to calm down a little, although the calmness didn't last long. Elizabeth began to move, if she woke up I wouldn't be able to continue my work and I wasn't going to punch her like we did to Porthos. Her eyes opened and she stared up at me in confusion, I gave her a smile which she returned. "Um... What are you doing?" She asked quietly.

"I'm stitching up this." I answered pointing to the gash in her side. "Although I don't know if I'll be able continue now that you're awake, it can be quite a painful procedure."

"If it hurts too much I'll tell you." A smirk playing on her lips.

I began stitching again trying to be as gentle as possible. I looked back up at her to see if she was in any pain, but if she was it wasn't evident on her face. She must have noticed my gaze because she turned so that her eyes met my own. "You get used to pain after a while of suffering." She stated._ What kinds of things has she endured? No one should have suffered so much to no longer react to pain. _I didn't question her about it, I already had a pretty good idea on who caused her all that pain; her husband. Even though I had never met the man I despised him, how could anyone hurt such a lovely woman such as Elizabeth?

I pushed my thoughts away as I resumed work on Elizabeth's wound. If I get too angry I might get too aggressive with my stitching and end up hurting her myself. After about half an hour I had finished and Elizabeth's injury was barely noticeable, although she would have to be careful for the next few days in order not to ruin the stitches.

"There you go, good as new" I smiled at her.

She smiled back and looked down to where the wound was, "Porthos was right. You should've been a seamstress." She pulled down her bloodied shirt to cover up her exposed skin "Thank you." Elizabeth said looking back up to me.

"It was a pleasure. I'd say you're one of my best patients." I said and we exchanged a smile.

With that she swung her legs round to get off of the table. However, as she began to stand up she lost her balance slightly and almost fell. Luckily I managed to catch her before she hurt herself again. I wrapped an arm around her waist, being careful not to put too much pressure on her injury, while my other arm leant on the table for support. "Sorry." She whispered, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Don't worry." I replied. I had never realised just how beautiful Elizabeth was, I hadn't really had an opportunity to be this close to her before. Plus the small blush that was gracing her cheeks made her look even prettier. After a few moments, I finally came back to my senses and pulled away before I did anything that I shouldn't. Constance had spoken to me once she had learned that Elizabeth was living with me, basically telling me not touch or hurt her in any way. She had Elizabeth's well-being in mind so I have been respecting Constance's demands.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I removed my arm from her waist.

"Yes. I guess I was still a little bit wobbly from my injury." I smiled in relief at her answer and began leading her back to the parlour where the rest of the group were.


	6. Chapter 6: Smiling

We returned to the room where everyone else was sat. Porthos was still passed out on the sofa, a bottle of wine lying next to him. Emile was sat at a table, parchment spread out in front of him, probably looking over some plans for the next voyage. Sat in the corner of room was D'Artagnan, making sure that Emile wasn't going to leave and that Porthos was okay. The only person missing was Athos.

As we stepped through the doors Emile quickly stood up. "Elizabeth! My dear, I'm glad you're okay." He exclaimed making his way towards me "I have something important to discuss with you, unless you feel too tired now?"

"No. I feel fine at the minute. What did you need to speak to me about?" As soon as the words had left my mouth Emile wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me to the table he was sat at before.

"This." He pointed to the plans in front of us. I gave him a skeptical look, I had told him before that I wouldn't get involved with his business. "I know you don't like it. But I could really use your help on this next trip, we have a much larger load than usual and when you were on the ship morale and survival rates were a lot higher."

"I can't Emile. Just hire someone else to look after your stock and keep your crew entertained." I went to turn away but he grabbed my arm, holding me in place.

"Please, just think about." He begged and released his grip.

"Fine. I'll think about it, but no promises." I sighed and made my way over to the other side of the room, grabbing a bottle of wine on the way. I slumped down by the window, staring out at nothing in particular. I thought about what Emile had said, _If I did go travelling with him at least I could make sure that his 'cargo' was well looked after. However I still disagreed with his business, human lives aren't things that should be sold. But I did enjoy sailing to different countries, there were some truly beautiful places and it would offer me an escape from my current lifestyle. Although recently I've been a lot happier, probably because I'm no longer living with my husband, but that won't last forever I can't burden Aramis too long. _I sighed again at all the decisions I would eventually have to make.

"You know, if you sigh too much all your happiness will escape." I snapped my head round to see Aramis leaning against the wall smiling at me. "What did Bonaire want to talk you about?" He asked.

"He wants me to come with him on his next voyage." I replied, looking back outside.

"I see." He said. We were surrounded by silence until Aramis spoke up again. "What was your answer?"

"I told him no at first, but he asked me to think about it. And here I am thinking about it." I replied.

"Don't think about it too long. You need to get some rest if you want that wound to heal properly." With that, he smiled and walked away, turning back once to wish me 'Goodnight'.

I sat there for a few more hours until I heard quiet snoring from behind me, and looked over to see that everyone else had fallen asleep. _I should probably go to sleep now, but I'm not tired at all. If I sit here I'll just start over thinking things, maybe I'll go look round the rest of the house. _I sighed and forced myself to stand, grabbing a lit candle from nearby, before beginning my adventure around the huge building.

I wandered down the pitch black halls, occasionally looking into rooms that had been mostly covered in white sheets to protect the expensive furnishings from dust and damage. As I reached the end of a corridor I saw a faint light coming from the furthest room. W_as someone still awake? Or perhaps it's a spirit... Well done Elizabeth lets wander around in the dark and scare yourself with superstitions. It's probably nothing._

Hesitantly I walked towards the door and gently pushed it open and peaked in. It didn't look like there was anyone in there, but there was still light illuminating the room. I pushed the door fully open and looking all around placed a foot inside, however as I did I walked into something. I slowly looked up to see a figure staring down at me, before I could even make out who it was I let out a scream and tried to run from what I thought was a spirit. But they grabbed my arm and pulled me back inside the room, clamping a hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming again.

"What are you doing?" The spirit asked, the voice sounded familiar and I recognised it as Athos'. I felt myself immediately calm down at this realisation.

I tried to reply to his question, but I only managed to incoherently mumble due to the hand covering my mouth. He quickly removed his hand and whispered a 'Sorry'. I let out a breath, trying again to calm myself. "You scared me half to death! What are you doing up?" I started shouting at him.

"If you keep shouting then I'll have to gag you." He replied firmly, not allowing me any room to argue, so I just quietly nodded my head in understanding. "Anyway, what are you doing?"

"I was on an adventure around the house and then I saw your light and went to investigate."

"I see, but why did you scream when you saw me?"

"Um... I... Er... I thought you were a spirit." I spoke quietly hoping that he wouldn't hear my reason. As I was thinking that I heard a low chuckle, and looked up to see Athos with a faint smile on his face. _This is the first time I've ever seen him smile even though it is the smallest smile I've ever seen. But its progress, plus he looks a lot friendlier like this._

"You thought I was a spirit?" He said still laughing quietly to himself. "That's one of the strangest things someone has said to me."

"Well, it's an easy mistake to make. Lots of dark abandoned houses usually have ghosts and such." I tried to redeem myself but I don't think it worked, as Athos' smile grew even more at these words. I continued to watch his face light up as the corners of his mouth continued to curl further.

He suddenly spoke up breaking my gaze "You're staring."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it though." I said, looking away from his face.

"You couldn't help it? What were you staring at anyway?"

"Oh." _Would he be offended if I said he had a nice smile? Maybe there's a reason he never smiles and I doubt he'll want to bring it up. _"Just your face._"_

"My face? Is there something on it?"

_Yes, there's something strange on your face, it's called a smile. _I smiled to myself "No, nothing in particular."

He gave me a dubious look "It's not very convincing when you smile like that. So what is it really?"

"Fine, I was looking at this." I reached up on tiptoes and touched a finger to his lips.

He grabbed my hand and pulled it away. "What do you mean?" He asked still holding onto my hand.

I sighed "Your smile."

"See that wasn't hard was it. Come on you should go get some sleep, we leave in the morning." And he began leading me back to the parlour.

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><p><strong>Sorry, this chapter is a little bit shorter than usual. I haven't had that much time to write recently, but I still wanted to give you guys something. Although I am pleased with this chapter, I thought that Athos need a bit of love. Hope you enjoy! <strong>


	7. Chapter 7: A Promise

The next morning I awoke to find myself sat in an uncomfortable chair, with a jacket draped over my body. I sat up, my body aching all over, and looked around to see that most people were already awake. I stood up and stretched, before grabbing the jacket and making my way out of the room. My first task of the day was to return the jacket to whom ever it belonged to. Porthos was still asleep and had his jacket with him just a minute a go so it's not his. D'Artagnan and Emile aren't musketeers so can't own a jacket like this. Must be either Aramis or Athos, but where are they?

I wandered around to the stables to check on Damien, there I also found Athos preparing the horses to ride, and wearing his jacket. So it must be Aramis', but he was asleep when I finally managed to get to sleep. Did I wake him? Oh well, I'll ask him when I return his jacket. After tending to Damien and having a quick conversation with Athos I went to find Aramis.

Thankfully I didn't have to look too long, as on my way back to the house, I saw him stood outside looking through his spyglass at something in the distance.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, walking towards him.

"Oh Elizabeth, good morning." He offered me a greeting then handed me his spyglass "We have guest, take a look." I did as he said and peered through the small telescope, I was surprised by what I saw.

"Is that Maria?" I asked. It was definitely a possibility, from what Emile told me she used to be a scout for him.

"It certainly looks that way." I gave him back the spyglass then realised I was still holding his jacket.

"Oh, I think this is yours, thank you for lending it to me." I offered the jacket out to him, he gently took it and slipped it on, before smiling at me in thanks.

D'Artagnan appeared next to me and looked out towards the trees, waiting for Maria to arrive. He raised his gun and pointed it at the forest, a few moments later Maria made her entrance, looking like she would collapse any second.

I quickly ran up to her "What happened?" I asked. She was holding her side and breathing heavily, but she still managed to give me a sly smile and a wink. I smiled back at her in understanding, when I heard D'Artagnan from behind me.

"Step away from her Elizabeth."

"No, we need to help her. Can't you see she's hurt?"

"Fine, let me help you down." He lowered his gun and walked towards Maria, who quickly took out her own gun and pointed it towards him.

"Patronise me again and I'll shoot." She hissed.

D'Artagnan raised his hands in surrender along with the rest of the musketeers, while Emile stepped forward and jumped onto the horse. I quickly whistled for Damien and followed after the Bonaires. From behind me I could hear D'Artagnan shouting "Who's side are you on Elizabeth?"

"Which ever side seems most entertaining at the time!" I called back.

As we were galloping through the woodland, I spotted two men dressed in black ahead of us. I slowed slightly and was about to call out to the others, but before I could a loud gunshot rung out and I saw Maria fall from the horse. There was a second shot and I watched as the man in black also fell, looking behind me I saw Aramis pointing his gun.

I rushed over and told Emile to flee before going to check on Maria, however I was too late. The shot had been fatal. I sat back on my knees and stared at her lifeless body, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked over to see Aramis knelt next to me, he gently reached out and closed her eyes, before turning his attention to me. He said nothing, instead he just stood up and offered me a hand. I placed my hand in his and slowly stood up, Aramis gently guided me back to Damien who had been waiting patiently for me. I spared a glance back at Maria, then climbed onto Damien's back, with a little help from Aramis.

The ride back to the house was silent, or I just wasn't listening to the conversation. All I could hear was the quiet sound of hooves on the ground and the occasional bird in the trees. Maria's body hung limp on the back of Aramis' horse, I kept glancing back hoping that she would wake up. Emile was distraught when he saw his wife, he hasn't spoken a word since then, I've never seen him like this before.

Once we arrived back at the house we were greeted by a very angry Porthos, in his hands were Emile's ship plans. _Ah, he probably didn't know what Emile traded. Well as entertaining as this would be, it's not what Emile needs right now._

"You lying filthy swine!" Porthos shouted as he ran at Emile and smacked him in the face, giving no one time to stop the blow. He then carried on assaulting Emile, before D'Aratagnan and Athos went to intervene. I quickly went over to Emile, who was sat on the floor trying to catch his breath.

"I can explain!" Emile yelled.

"Do you know what he does? He's a slave trader. Look at these plans." He held out the parchment to the rest of the musketeers to see. "People being packed onto the ship like fish at the market."

"The drawings make it look far worse than it actually is." Emile stated, receiving a glare from Porthos.

I spoke up to try and ease the tension, perhaps it would be easier for Porthos to understand coming from someone he knew. "Everyone has to make a living somehow, and this is how Emile does it. You don't have to agree with it or like it, you just have to accept that it happens. To be honest Emile probably treats the people he'll sell better than any other trader, he has workers on the ship that are there just to look after them."

"You're siding with him? He sells people's lives, no one should be able to do that." Porthos turned his attention to me. "Yes there may be people on that ship keeping the slaves alive, but they can't make them happy. You know, I heard stories about those ships, people throw themselves overboard because they can't bear to see their friends and family starved and ill."

"You heard stories, but you don't know what actually happens on these ships, do you?" I was getting slightly frustrated that Porthos wasn't understanding the other side to slave trading.

"Oh, and I suppose you would know all about the life of a slave then? The people who told me those stories experienced for themselves what those ships are like." He spat, struggling to grab me, luckily the other musketeers still had a firm grip on him.

I stood up, and walked up to Porthos glaring at him. "Believe it or not I do know about the life of a slave, I spoke to the people on Emile's ship, some were actually happy to come on board so that they could start a new life or be reunited with loved ones."

"You may have learned about their lives but you've never experienced it for yourself. You're a noble. You've probably been spoilt your whole life, you have the money and freedom to do whatever you want." He struggled again, getting angrier and more violent each minute. "Do you know what its like to be locked up? Forced to work? Kept away from the people you care about? Probably get beaten just because your employer got bored?"

"I do know what it's like!" I screamed "That's been my life for the past two years." I was silent and I tried to blink away the tears that were forming in my eyes. I didn't want to be reminded of the life I would have to go back to.

Everyone was silent as they stared at me, I could feel the tears beginning to run down my cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't mea-" Porthos said gently, but before he could finish I ran out of the room. I heard footsteps running after me, I didn't turn to see who it was, I didn't want anyone to see me looking so pathetic, I just wanted to be alone.

Someone eventually caught up to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I spun around and looked up to see Aramis staring at me with sad eyes, he didn't say anything or ask any questions, he just pulled me into his chest and held me tightly. I stained his shirt with the tears still trickling down my face. Once I had finally stopped crying he spoke.

"Are you okay?" I nodded silently against his chest. "Porthos didn't mean to bring it up, he was just angry."

"I know." I whispered and gave him a weak smile. "But, sometimes I think that I should go back there. I don't want to, I can't rely on you forever though."

"You don't need to go back, I don't mind you staying forever If you need to."

"Aramis..."

"I like having you around, it's been very entertaining these past few weeks." He chuckled

"I like being around as well, but-"

"No buts. I'm not letting you go back there and if he comes to try and take you away I promise that I'll protect you. Let me protect you Elizabeth."

I looked up at him and smiled before wrapping my arms around his waist "Okay."

"Come on, we'll be leaving for Paris soon, It'll take a few hours to get there on horse back. When we get there you can go straight home and we could get some of those nice pastries when I've finished my work." He excitable took my hand leading me towards the stables. I could feel myself grinning and I wasn't sure if it was because of the mention of pastries or if it was because of Aramis.


	8. Chapter 8: Behind the Mask

I woke up to loud knocking coming from the front door, I sighed and forced myself up from the bed. I made my way groggily down the stairs and opened the door, only to reveal my uncle standing there in shock. I suppose that he has something important to discuss with Aramis, he can't be here for me seeing as I never told him about my current living arrangements. Aramis had stayed here last night instead of going back to the garrison, apparently there wasn't much for him to do until the signing of the treaty in a few days.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here?" He asked accusingly, staring at me sternly.

I looked away awkwardly, no doubt he wouldn't approve of my living situation. "I, um, I live here."

He raised an eyebrow "You live here? With Aramis?"

"Well, yes, when he's here anyway. Usually he stays in the garrison even though he owns this house."

"Aramis!" My uncle screamed, clenching his fists tightly.

Aramis made his way down the stairs, half-dressed and wiping the sleep from his eyes. As soon as he saw Captain Treville stood at the door his eyes snapped open and he stood up straight. "Captain! What can I help you with?" He tried to speak as calmly as possible. However his voice quivered slightly at the thought of the captain killing him for living with his niece, and not informing him.

"First of all, you can tell me what my niece is doing in your house."

"She needed somewhere to stay, so I'm letting her live here."

"I see." Treville stepped closer and spoke quietly thinking that only Aramis could hear. "If you hurt my niece in any way, I will not be forgiving."

Aramis had no time ro reply as Treville stepped away before speaking again, with the same serious tone "Anyway, you're needed down at the garrison."

"Yes sir, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Good. Elizabeth come down to the garrison this afternoon, there's a few issues we need to discuss."

"Yes Uncle." I said hesitantly, afraid of what he had to say on the 'issues'. I already knew what the issue was, everyone knew that Aramis liked his women and I had lived with him for the past few months. Plus the way he had glared at Aramis since he came down gave it away a bit.

Captain Treville smiled once more before leaving the residence, the door clicking shut behind him. Both Aramis and myself let out sighs of relief, both thankful that the captain's stern gaze was no longer on us. For the moment at least, we still had to face him later today.

Aramis went up to his room only to come down a few minutes later, fully dressed in his musketeers uniform and carrying his weapons; a pistol and sword. The door clicked shut once again after Aramis had left, not before he had muttered a quick 'good bye' to me.

I was alone for the rest of the day, left to worry about what my uncle would say. I knew he wouldn't make me return to my husband, but I just didn't want to leave Aramis. Although if my Uncle asked me to leave I would, I respected him and he was the only family I had left so I didn't really want to fall out with him. Admittedly I would have to leave Aramis at some point, I shouldn't have gotten so close to him.

The day passed by quickly and soon the sun was setting, I dragged myself towards the musketeers garrison. Once I arrived I made my was up the steps towards my uncle's office. I knocked gently on the door, after a few moments I heard someone inside telling me to come in.

"Ah, Elizabeth. Take a seat." My Uncle spoke, he didn't seem angry or upset. Just tired, he must have had a stressful day and I probably didn't help much, making him worry about me.

I took a seat on the opposite side of his desk, anxiously fiddling with my hands. "What did you need to see me about?"

"Well first, why in the world you didn't tell me you were with Aramis?" He raised his voice slightly.

"I told you I was staying with a friend. I didn't tell you that my friend was Aramis because I knew you wouldn't agree to it." I said firmly.

He let out a long sigh. "I have reasons not to agree to it. He's notorious for 'falling in love' with women, who usually end up hurt."

"He won't hurt me. Please trust him. Plus were just friends, he's never once made a move on me." I pleaded

"I do trust him, but when it comes to you I can't help but worry."

"So I can stay with him?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes. I suppose I'll allow it, for now." He sighed in defeat.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Anyway, that's not all I wanted to speak to you about." He said, his expression turning serious.

"Oh? What is it?" I asked curious.

"In a few days the duke of Savoy will arrive, so everyone in the musketeers will be busy. Also, I have a feeling that because of this visit, an event from the past will be brought up again."

"You mean the massacre."

"Yes. I don't want you to believe what people say on the matter. I need you to trust me."

"Okay." I said, returning his serious gaze.

"Thank you. That will be all."

"Goodnight Uncle." I smiled.

He returned my smile, with a tired one of his own. "Goodnight."

I left the garrison and began the walk back home. Until I heard a familiar voice speak up from behind me.

"Are you having fun playing with those musketeers?" The voice asked, it was female but full of anger. "Anyone would think that you actually care for them."

"Milady." I spoke without turning to look at her.

"Your job was to watch your husband. See who his contacts are, what business he does with them, and whether or not he supports France."

"I wasn't going to find out anything, he kept me locked away the whole time."

"Well, I'll give you a new task. Stay close to the musketeers."

"The musketeers? What do they have to do with anything?"

"You'll have to wait and see. For now just watch them and report back to the cardinal, you've been out of contact for a while now."

Hesitantly, I answered "Okay, I'll do it."

"Good. Send D'Artagnan my best." With that she disappeared back into the night.

I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with Milady. Why did I need to stay close to the musketeers? What did she want with them? If she wanted them dead she would've already killed them, right? My stomach started churning with anxiety and nervousness. I felt bad for lying to people who called me a friend, but if I didn't I'd likely be killed or sent back to my husband. Plus I owe a lot to Milady, she ha helped me out multiple times, whether she did it so I'd be in debt to her or maybe it was out of the kindness of her heart.

I walked through the front door around an hour later. I headed straight for my bedroom where I flopped down on the bed, exhausted. I couldn't wait for the day to be over, too much had happened for me to be able to think clearly.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry for the really late update! School had me really busy with coursework and revision. I have exams coming up in May, so I may go on a short hiatus during that time. Anyway, thank you for your support! Enjoy!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9: Family Secrets

I was spending the day with Constance, I needed to distract myself from the other night. Constance had always been able to reassure and make me feel at ease, even though I hadn't told her what was on my mind she still offered me peace of mind. My time there flew by, I was keeping myself busy with odd jobs she needed help with.

I heard the door open with a bang. I looked over to see that D'Artagnan had returned along with Aramis and a man who had a hat covering his face. Constance ushered them into the dining room, I followed behind waiting to hear what had happened. Once I'd caught a glimpse of his face I no longer cared, Marsac was stood next to Aramis, looking a lot more worse for wear than when I'd last seen him.

I first met Marsac just after my brother, Jean, joined the musketeers. The two joined around the same time and often worked and trained together. They were both on the training exercise five years ago, and I know Jean would have risked his life for those musketeers, but apparently Marsac couldn't and left them all for dead. He had also harassed me about a year or so ago, after finding out that I was the Captains niece, wanting to know about the past musketeers plans. As I was glaring at him, he looked towards me locking our gazes. He looked almost scared for a moment before smiling smugly.

"So Monsieur Marsac, I assume you're a soldier." Constance said.

"No he's a cabinet maker." Aramis answered quickly.

Marsac broke his gaze with me and turned to look at Aramis with a questioning look. "Cabinet maker?"

"Highly skilled." Aramis recovered, sending a look towards Marsac.

"Ah of course, that's exactly what I am."

Constance and I bought the material through to the next room with the men following behind, before Constance began her questioning again. "So how long will you be staying?"

D'Artagnan was quick to reply "Only a few days."

"Can't he answer for himself?"

"He's very shy and doesn't go out much, if ever." Aramis replied then sent a pointed look to Marsac, and tugged on the rope that bound his hands "Do you?"

I gave Marsac a questioning look, wondering what it was he had done now. His only reply was a small smile and a shrug.

"Well if you're willing to vouch for him, he can stay in D'Artagnan's room." Constance said, before turning to make her way out of the room. "Excuse me."

"I'm in your debt Madame." Marsac replied, staring after her as she walked away. Only to have glares directed at him from both myself and D'Artagnan.

"She's married. And a friend." D'Artagnan said sourly.

"I was merely admiring from a distance." Marsac replied the same smug smile creeping its way onto his face.

"Make it as far away as possible." D'Artagnan countered, before walking out of the room.

"Of course. You have nothing to worry about." Marsac called after D'Artagnan "Especially if Elizabeth is willing to keep me company."

"Come on Marsac. I think it's time for you to retire to your room." Aramis spoke, sending him a glare and giving another tug on the rope. Marsac was then dragged away up to D'Artagnan's room.

After a while, I decided to go check on Marsac; you can never know what he's going to do, even more so when it's to do with the massacre. I walked up the stairs towards D'Artagnans room, but stopped short when I heard him talking with Aramis.

"Treachery will not go unpunished; we must avenge the lives of our dead friends."

"Elizabeth? Did you need something?" Aramis asked coming out of the room.

"Ah...No, I just came to speak with Marsac." I replied

"With Marsac?" Aramis questioned "I thought this before, but do you know him?"

"I suppose you could say that. We've met a few times before." I answered, looking towards the room Marsac was being held in. "So can I talk to him?"

"Okay, but just talking. "

"What else do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know, but when you're fighting or plotting there's a different look about you; I noticed it when you were with Bonnaire. You have a similar air about you now." Aramis replied staring at me intently. "Do you remember when you told that you weren't strong and confident? Well I think you are, for right now at least." He added before opening the door for me to enter Marsac's room.

I quickly looked away from Aramis and headed into the room After mumbling a small 'thank you'. Sat on the bed in the middle of the room was Marsac, hands bound together with rope.

"Elizabeth." He greeted with a small smile.

"Marsac." I nodded in return, suppressing the urge to slap him for his treachery.

"So what did you come to see me about? Finally willing to get those plans for me?" He smirked an leaned forward on his elbows.

His smile immediately dropped when he heard my response. "No. I've told you before you deserve nothing from me."

"I know what I deserve; revenge." He said angrily through gritted teeth.

I sighed "Revenge will only bloody your hands further, or have you forgotten all those musketeers you killed?"

"I was not the one to kill them!" He shouted, standing up from his original position on the bed.

"You might as well of. You left them for dead to save yourself, they were your friends." I said in a soft voice, memories of my brother filling my head.

"And I regret it. But what was I supposed to do?" He asked, calming down a little.

"Try to help. That's all you had to do, then maybe a few lives could have been spared." I said walking towards him, before sitting him back down on the bed in hopes of calming him. "But from what I've heard you were the only survivor, and that's because you ran."

"Thats not true, Aramis survived as well." He spoke looking down at his hands "He was wounded in the battle, I dragged him into the forest. But I didn't rejoin the fight, I just hid with Aramis watching as my friends died."

"Well, I suppose one more life is better than none." I smiled at him, genuinely glad that he had saved Aramis.

He stared at me in shock for a few moment before clearing his throat. "So what did you come here for?"

"I came here to ask what exactly you're doing in Paris, especially now."

"The same thing I've been doing for the last five years of my life; trying to find the people responsible for the attack and kill them."

"And have you?"

"Partially. It was the Duke of Savoy who led the attack."

"Did you kill him?" I asked hesitantly

"I missed." He said laconically.

I gave a small laugh at his reply. "Good. Why don't you go and live your life instead of dwelling on the past?"

"I do not deserve to live, especially when my friends had no say in whether they died."

"I don't think that anyone would wish death on you, every man gets scared at some point, no? My brother especially, he seemed to quite like you."

"Jean was a good man, but he should not have placed his faith in me. I am a coward and deserter." He said sadly, looking down at his bound hands. "I can see him in you, you're quite alike."

"Really? In what way?"

"You both knew how put people in their place and are incredibly rash in your decisions. There were a number of times that Jean rushed into fights and such."

"Well I suppose that's only natural, he was the one who taught me to fight." I grinned.

Marsac and I continued talking until the door opened to reveal Aramis, who looked surprised for a moment before speaking up. "Marsac, I need you to explain your situation to some of my friends." He sighed, and Marsac nodded in return.

"You brought a wanted man into my house? A deserter!" Constance exclaimed angrily as she looked accusingly at D'Artagnan.

"A deserter and assassin." Athos spoke.

"I'm guessing they didn't mention that part." Porthos said.

"Failed assassin technically." I sent a glare towards Marsac for his comment, this wasn't the time for his smart mouth.

"Oh you can keep quiet." Constance was clearly annoyed by the whole situation abd turned her attention to D'Artagnan "But I trusted you."

"D'Artagnan is not to blame he behaved honourably." Aramis said trying to ease Constance's anger.

"Honourable people don't lie to their friends." She shouted, and I frowned at the comment that's exactly what I'm doing now, I thought back to what Milady had asked me to do.

"Apologies for the deception, I'll leave immediately." Marsac moved to get up but my hand on his arm and a shake of the head from Aramis changed his plans.

"You can stay." Constance said looking at Marsac before she turned back to D'Artagnan. "But you can pack your things."

"That hardly seems fair." D'Artagnan called after her as she walked out of the room.

I couldn't help a grin spreading onto my face at D'Artagnan look of hurt, and I heard Porthos chuckling from the other side of the room as well. "She'll forgive you, just give her time." Aramis said trying to reassure the young musketeer but the amusement in his voice didn't help.

"How much time?"

"Oh a decade or two maybe." Porthos chuckled and patted D'Artagnans shoulder.

"I'm sure it won't take that long. I'll talk to her later for you; once she's calmed down, I could never deal with her when she was angry." I said offering a smile towards him.

The moment of peace was broken by Athos' harsh voice "Have you both completely lost your minds?"

"Perhaps Athos doesn't care about twenty dead musketeers." Marsac spoke, and I sighed at the inevitable argument that was about to come.

"Insulting the man who holds your life in his hands; I see you are a fool as well as a coward." At that comment Marsac lost his temper and jumped out of his chair, before both Aramis and myself moved to stop him.

"Just hear him out." Aramis spoke trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere in the room. "If your not satisfied, I'll do whatever you suggest."

Marsac looked at Aramis with hurt, before turning to face me asking for my help. I could only sigh and shrug my shoulders. Marsac then looked back at Athos "There's someone you should speak to first."

They all made their way to leave before Marsac called back to me. "Elizabeth. Are you not coming?"

"There is no reason for her to come." Aramis spoke protectively, trying to save me from whatever horror Marsac was to show them.

"Yes there is." Marsac replied "Her brother. She is as much a victim as either of us."

We all made our way into a run down looking building, plaster was falling from the walls and most of the windows were either broken or boarded up. Inside the large interior was nothing except for a few structural columns, that's when I caught sight of a man hanging limply from one of the columns.

Marsac made his way over to the man "Found this one drunk and spouting about killing musketeers."

"I found him in a bar, drunk and bragging about killing musketeers." Marsac punched him in the gut, I winced a little at the sight, before Marsac grabbed him and spat out "Tell them what you told me."

"Easy." D'Artagnan said "He can't talk if he's out cold."

"I was a soldier, in the pay of the Duke of Savoy." The man began "At Easter five years ago he told us the French had come to kill him and put his son in his place."

"Go on." Aramis encouraged.

"We rolled out on Good Friday." The man continued "Slaughtered the musketeers as they slept. They were snoozing like babies when we crept into their tents." He finished with a sneer, that was quickly wiped away by Marsac's harsh words. However I couldn't make out exactly what was said for my mind was with my brother. I wondered whether or not he suffered, if he had put up a fight. I was bought back to reality by the mans next words. "We knew where you were camped, we were tipped off."

"What name did you hear? Who betrayed the musketeers?"

The next words that the man spoke were completely unexpected, and it me a while to finally comprehend what he had said. "Treville. A Captain Treville."

"You are sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well it makes sense. Every man has his price." Marsac said, while I sent him a glare.

"You take that back!" Porthos charged towards Marsac before being stopped by the other musketeers.

"Gentlemen. Come on." Athos spoke with authority, calming the situation slightly, and lead the musketeers away to speak more privately.

I didn't even notice that Aramis had taken my hand and pulled me with them, until I felt his hand squeeze mine gently and saw him looking at me with concern. I didn't even bother to fake a smile for him, I just looked away, unsure of what to think. When I turned, from the corner of my eye I caught a glance of Marsac who was now strangling the man. Not wanting to interrupt their discussion I pulled my hand from Aramis' and ran over to where Marsac was, this also caught the attention of the other musketeers who followed close behind me.

"Marsac! Stop it!" I yelled, pushing on his chest trying to pry him away from the other man. Athos and Porthos also joined me in getting Marsac away from our only piece of information. Unfortunately it didn't help much as the man was already dead.

I decided to leave immediately, there was nothing in this place of use to me anymore. The one piece of evidence was dead, although whether or not the information was credible remains to be seen. I needed to think this through on my own, I didn't want to speak to my Uncle for fear that it was true. I sat in my room for most of the day, thinking over the events of this morning and those of five years ago, before deciding to speak to my uncle.

I knocked on his door, and after hearing his usual tired reply of 'Come in.', walked inside his office. However when I entered there was no one around "Uncle?" I asked, wondering where he had gone in the few short seconds it had taken me to open the door.

"In here." I heard him call from the armoury. I walked towards the room and found him cleaning the muskets.

"Um, Uncle. Can I ask you something?" I asked hesitantly, unsure if how to approach the subject. He turned, giving me his full attention and a quick nod encouraging me to continue. "Five years ago, were you the one to pass on the musketeers position?" He stiffened and turned back to cleaning muskets, but he did not have time to answer.

"Treason has to be paid for Captain" I heard Marsac's voice speak from behind us.

I turned around quickly to see Marsac stood there with his gun cocked and pointed straight to my uncles head. However Treville seemed unfased by this fact and replied calmly. "I always knew you'd be back someday."

"Was it money? Were you paid by the Duke?" Marsac began his interrogation.

"If you think that you know nothing about me." I sighed in relief at the statement thinking that meant he wasn't responsible.

Marsac walked closer keeping his gun on his target, occasionally flicking it over to me so that he could keep me under his watch. I went to grab my dagger, but before I could the click of a gun was heard and I looked up to see Aramis.

"He will pay for his crimes in a court marshal." Aramis spoke silencing Marsac's questioning. I took this opportunity to grab the dagger, seeing as everyone's attention has turned to Aramis.

"There will be no court Marshal. The king knows what happened. I was acting on his instructions." Treville spoke once again in a calm tone. I frowned this meant that he also knew what happened. "I was told to pass on your position to the duke. Those were my orders and I obeyed them." My hand clenched around the dagger, my own uncle, the last of my family, was responsible for Jean's death.

"How could you! You knew Jean was there, he trusted you!" I shouted angrily, my eyes clouding with unshed tears.

I didn't really listen to the rest of their discussion, only occasionally catching a few phrases; 'spy in Savoy', 'save the duchess', 'distract the duke'.

"Put the guns down." I looked towards Aramis in surprise, my uncle was guilty he just admitted it. Although I did not wish him dead I did not understand why Aramis would give such an order.

"This has to end here Aramis." Marsac spoke, and I knew from his tone that he wasn't going to listen to the order. "You know that." I quickly went to step in front of my uncle, as I heard the gun shots. I caught sight of Marsac and went to throw the dagger, but noticed the gunshot wound that already adorned his body.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to face my uncle's worried face. "Are you hurt?"He asked.

"I'm fine."I said curtly "Not that it should matter to you, Jean's well being didn't seem to." And quickly turned to leave the room, not before spaing a glance at a lifeless Marsac held by Aramis. Giving a small prayer for Marsac's soul I left the garrison.


End file.
